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Tell everyone that you speak to, that Jesus Christ is the door to the Father. Jesus said to him,  “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:6-7 (NABRE) Image Credit:  Salvator Mundi  by Andrea Previtali St. Bonaventure Quotes "Do not believe that reading is sufficient without unction, speculation without devotion, investigation without wonder, observation without joy, work without piety, knowledge without love, understanding without humility, endeavor without divine grace..." (From The Journey of the Mind to God ) "It is impossible, therefore, for anyone to achieve a firm understanding of the truth of all sacred Scripture unless he first receives the gift of faith in Christ. This faith is the foundation of the whole Bible, a lamp and a key to its understanding." (From a discourse on Sacred Scripture)...

Saints

(Far Angelico)
Madonna of Humility

When they saw this,
they made known the message that had been told to them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart. – Luke 2:17-19, NABRE



(Peter Paul Rubens)
Saint Teresa of Ávila

"I have often thought with wonder of the great goodness of God; and my soul 
has rejoiced in the contemplation of His great magnificence and mercy. 
May He be blessed for ever! For I see clearly that He has not omitted to reward me, 
even in this life, for every one of my good desires." – St. Teresa of Avila



(Domenico Ghirlandaio)
Saint Jerome in His Study

"Exercise your mind, feed it daily with Holy Scripture." – St. Jerome

"When we pray we speak to God;
but when we read, God speaks to us." – St. Jerome

"The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without 
fear of drowning and deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever 
reaching the bottom." – St. Jerome

"Make knowledge of the Scripture your love... Live with them, meditate on 
them, make them the sole object of your knowledge and inquiries." – St. Jerome

 “For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” – St. Jerome




Saint Athanasius of Alexandria

"You will not see anyone who is really striving after his advancement who is not 
given to spiritual reading. And as to him who neglects it, the fact will soon be observed 
by his progress." – Saint Athanasius



(Niccolò di Pietro)
"If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, 
it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." – St. Augustine



(Herman Nieg)

“Idleness is the enemy of the soul; and therefore the brethren ought to be employed 
in manual labor at certain times, at others, in devout reading.” – St. Benedict



(Andrea Mantegna)

"Please do not leave me tonight; let us go on until morning talking about 
the delights of the spiritual life." – St. Scholastica



(Fra Bartolomeo)
Saint Dominic

"We must sow the seed, not hoard it." – St. Dominic



(Francisco de Zurbarán)
Saint Francis in Meditation

"Where there is peace and meditation, 
there is neither anxiety nor doubt." – St. Francis of Assisi



(Romary)
"You cannot please both God and the world at the same time, 
They are utterly opposed to each other in their thoughts, their desires, 
and their actions." – St. John Vianney




(Solomenco Bogdan)
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

"Through the study of books one seeks God; 
by meditation one finds him." – St. Padre Pio



Edith Stein, "passport" photo (ca. 1938-1939)
Saint Teresa Benedict of the Cross

“On the question of relating to our fellowman – our neighbor’s spiritual need 
transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. 
But love is an end already, since God is love.” – St. Teresia Benedicta (Edith Stein)